Stressed Out
by Pieland24
Summary: Korra is a failing musician. One visit to Taco Bell and a cute cashier will change everything. Wow I suck at summaries. Modern Korrasami
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! First korrasami fic. Criticism is suggested. Don't know if I'll continue it. Tell me what you think!**

Her stomach. It kept growling; an evil reminder that she has to eat. Korra sat up on the bench press and sighed, looking down at her torso and frowned. Though today was not just any day. Today was Tuesday, which means Taco Bell. She hopped up and ran over to Bolin.

"Bolin! It's lunch time. You coming?" He set down the dumb bells he was using and tapped his chin.

"I'm not in the mood for tacos today." He said softly. Korra scoffed. He always wanted to eat. Even after they ate. She leaned on the exercise equipment and pouted.

"What? When are you not in the mood?"

"I would love too! Honest! But Opal was supposed to come by..." Korra laughed at her friend and waved him off.

"Whipped." She teased. "If you see Kai, tell him I'll be late." Bolin gave her a salute.

"Yes sir! Er, ma'am. Um-"

"I get it." She chuckled. "And don't forget about practice tomorrow!" She warned.

She eyed the menu, even though she always gets the same thing every time. The smell of diabetes filled her nose and she couldn't help but grin. She lived for fast food.

Though she could do without all the people. The line stretched all the way to the door, which meant waiting. Korra sighed and pulled out her phone to pass the time.

"I can help someone over here." Korra looked up to the cashier. Of course on the one day she chose to eat in there was a line. She eagerly pushed past the people in front of her and walked up to the cashier.

"Hi." Korra glanced at the women behind the counter. She had jet-black hair that was pulled up into a ponytail with a baseball cap covering her head. She had purple eyeshadow and bright red lipstick, and she was just hot.

"Uh. Hi." The ability to come up with words was lost. This women was beautiful. And she worked at Taco Bell! It was a win-win situation. Maybe Korra could get discounts...

"Are you going to order something or?" Korra's cheeks grew warm as she looked up at the menu.

"Yeah! Yeah, um. I'll have a number seven and a Pepsi." She watched as Asami (that's what her name tag said, not that she was staring) typed in her order.

"Soft or hard?" Asami asked. If she wasn't blushing before, she definitely was now. A witty comeback was in the tip of her tongue until common sense came back to her.

"I, uh, what?" She stammered. What is with her today? Talking isn't hard.

"Soft shell or hard shell?"

"Oh! Soft shell, please." She knew that. She'd ordered it a million times. Asami nodded and busied herself with the screen. "That'll be $6.49."

Korra plucked a ten dollar bill from her pocket and handed it to the cashier. There fingers touched for a second, though Korra felt as though time stopped. Her hands were probably clammy, it happened when she got nervous and damn this girl for making her giddy. She retracted her hand and wiped it on her shorts.

"Hey lady, other people wanna eat." She turned to see a shorter man who was rather pudgy. She could take him, no problem. Which could resolve in getting kicked out.

"Listen buddy," she hissed through gritted teeth. The man flared up at her and she almost cracked a smile. 'Deep breath, Korra.' What would Tenzin say?

"You cannot let other people get to you. Clear your head, take deep breaths." She could practically hear his voice in her head. Exhaling, she turned, grabbed her drink, and sat down.

This was one of the reasons why she couldn't stand people; especially stupid people. She used to have major anger management problems, and that's when her parents introduced her to Tenzin, the peace guru. Okay, he was a therapist, but Korra saw him as a very uptight guru.

Korra's train of thought was interrupted by a tray being placed in front of her. She looked up to see Asami.

"Aren't you supposed to be not here?" Damn her nerves. Asami smiled softly and took the seat across from Korra.

"I'm on my break. And your order was ready so I thought I might as well bring it over here." She said with a smile. "I'm surprised you kept your cool earlier."

"Yeah, I've gotten used to stupid people." She glanced at the chubby man from before as he stuffed his face with nachos and frowned. "But thanks. For this." She held up her taco. Asami waved her off and Korra unwrapped the taco.

"Don't worry about it." She glanced at her wristwatch and sighed. "I better go. Enjoy your lunch!" Korra nodded, her mouth too full to respond which earned a giggle from the cashier. She ate slower than usual .

Punch.

Korra exhaled through her nose and went to strike again. Kai stumbled back at the contact and covered his face.

"Okay! I give!" He held up his hands in surrender. Korra unwrapped her bandages and helped Kai up. He rubbed his wrist and whimpered. "What pissed you off today?"

"I just like knocking you on your ass, dude." She teased. Kai gave her a look. "I'm sorry. It must be my nerves." She had a gig in two weeks and she wasn't feeling too confident about it. "And I almost kicked a chubby guy's ass today." She said with a smirk.

"Hey, you'll be fine. You've done this a million times." He assured her. She shook her head. "But the whole kicking someone else's ass? I think that's reserved for me." Korra sent him a glare belfry speaking.

"Bolin hasn't been to practice this week because of Opal. His head just isn't in it." Korra admitted, wiping her forehead with a towel. Bolin was base with Mako on lead guitar and Korra on drums. Opal had been lead vocals, but she hadn't shown up to practice.

"He's in love. Let him live a little!" Kai formed a heart with his hands and blinked rapidly. Korra punched his shoulder.

"We don't have time for love, Kai." Ever since Mako, Korra refused to get emotionally invested in someone. Her heart couldn't take any more pain. But Mako proved to be a good friend, and they're still close.

"Sure. But I know you'll do great. Jinora and I'll be there. We made signs." Korra smirked. "I even bought black eyeliner." He sent her a wink and took a sip from his water bottle.

"That'll be a sight to see." She muttered with a grin. "Thanks for coming today. I really appreciate it."

"I appreciate you knocking me on my ass. It's an honor." He took a dramatic bow and grinned up at her.

"Yeah whatever." She smirked.

"Anything happen this week?" Korra twiddled her thumbs and gazed at the cup of pencils on Tenzin's desk. They met once every week, or more of something bad happens. Though Korra hadn't gotten into a fight with anyone in a long time, and she was proud of it. She didn't enjoy beating someone to a pulp, but if they need to be taught a lesson what else could she do?

"Nope." She could feel his eyes on her, and that made her nervous as hell. "Okay, something almost happened. But I stayed cool." She assured him. He quirked an eyebrow before writing something on his notepad. She busied herself with a piece of thread on her shirt while he wrote.

"That's good to hear, Korra. You've made a lot of progress since we began seeing each other." She sighed in relief. He usually lectured her on ways to stay calm and why she shouldn't let her anger control her.

"Yeah. I guess." She shrugged. He acted as though she saved the world. The man stroked his beard and looked at his notes.

"You've been improving. You catch on rather quickly, and I'm impressed."

"Yeah me too. Are we done here doc? " She asked eagerly. It's not that she didn't enjoy spending half an hour talking about her feelings, but she could be kicking Mako's ass at Halo right now.

"I wanted to ask you about your social life." He began. "Perhaps you've taken a romantic interest in someone?"

"Oh my god, Tenzin. No. And my social life is fine. Everything is fine." She rubbed her temples. He could be a pain sometimes. "Can I go now?"

"Korra, it's only been ten minutes." She waited for a 'but'. "But since you're doing so well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Same time next week." Korra jumped out of the chair and have him a thumbs up.

"Wouldn't miss it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Hope you like this chapter. Thanks for the feedback!**

"Focus Korra." She gritted her teeth and swung. Mako ducked and jabbed her side, causing her to fall to her feet. He immediately went to help her up, but she just huffed and pushed herself off the ground. She held her fists up and prepared for Mako's hit.

He side stepped and **aimed** for her torso. He kicked forward as she dove to the right. She quickly grabbed his foot and went to throw him, but Mako broke free and kicked her in the side. She groaned in pain as she landed on the mat.

They had an early morning workout, one of the only times they could hangout by themselves. Or beat each other up.

"I'll be feeling that tomorrow." She muttered. Mako held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, you said don't hold back." Korra frowned, taking a sip from her water bottle.

"I didn't mean turn into Rocky and act like your pride is at stake." She deadpanned, grasping her side. Mako didn't know his own strength sometimes.

"Unbelievable." Mako grabbed his water bottle and sat on the bench. Korra wiped her forehead and sat beside him.

"You know what I mean. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'll break with one touch, you know that." She nudged his shoulder and offered a small smile. Mako kept a straight face. Korra rolled her eyes.

"I know. But you seem a little out of it today. What's on your mind?" Damn Mako and his ability to see right through her. She dropped her head and sighed.

"I'm a little worried about Bolin and Opal. You've seen they way they act around each other when we're supposed to be practicing. Especially this close to a performance!" She heard Mako chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"You," he began, "are so jealous." He crossed his arms and looked at her, and she wanted to wipe the smug look off his face.

"Me? Jealous of Bolin? Your brother? I don't think so." Mako shook his head and got up. "I have nothing to be jealous of!" She declared.

"Deny it all you want, but I know you Korra. Bolin is just living his life, enjoying himself." He grabbed his bag and heard toward to door. "I suggest you do the same." He said over his shoulder.

Korra stared at him with disbelief. She was living! She had a band, her own apartment, though it wasn't in the best shape. So why wasn't she happy?

"Hey, where are you?" Korra gripped the phone. "I'm at Taco Bell." Laughter rang in her ear and she frowned. "What?"

"It's not even Tuesday!" Kai exclaimed. "Does this mean you'll be late?"

"I think I'm gonna skip today, if that's okay with you." It was more of a statement than a question. After this morning, she didn't want to step inside the gym for awhile.

"That's fine! Gives me more time for romance." She could tell he was smiling and faked a gag.

"Didn't need to know that." She headed inside and stood in line. Thankfully it wasn't as crowded. "Gotta go. Don't do anything stupid." She hung up and looked at the menu.

"Can I help you?" That voice. Korra's heart raced as her eyes fixated on the women before her. It was Asami, and she looked just as beautiful as before. "Wait, weren't you here the other day?" She grinned, causing Korra's breath to hitch.

"Uh, yeah. I was." She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to stay calm. "I'll have a number seven with a Pepsi and-"

"Soft taco?" The younger girl gaped at as Asami typed in her order. She could've sworn Asami winked, but maybe she was just hoping."That'll be $6.49." Korra handed her a ten and grabbed her drink.

No one had an effect on her like the cashier, and it confused Korra. Not even Mako had made her feel like this, though he wasn't anything special. Is this what Bolin felt like will Opal? Or Kai with Jinora?

"Here you go." Her tray was placed on the table and Korra automatically said thanks.

"Is this part of your job description?" Asami stifled a giggle and shook her head.

"Not really. But you have a habit of coming when I'm on break." Okay, she totally winked this time. Korra fought back a blush as she continued to stare at the older girl.

"Haha, sorry about that. I can't control this." She gestured to her stomach.

"Hey, I get payed for it. It's fine." Asami assured. Korra stopped chewing and blushed. "Actually," she glanced at her watch, " that's the end of my shift. I need to get out of these clothes." She said lowly and Korra nearly choked. Was this really happening?

"Um, yeah."

"I mean, I hate smelling like food all the time, you know?" Korra swallowed in relief and nodded.

"Yeah, but I love the smell of Taco Bell. Or fancy fast food in general." She held up her half-eaten taco and smirked.

"You do know every time you eat this crap, you lose five years off your life." Asami stated seriously. Korra scoffed.

"I like to live dangerously." She started working on her quesadilla and waited for a reply.

"That's a shame." The cashier sighed. "I don't associate with trouble makers."

"I don't make trouble! I try to stop it." She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin with pride. "I keep the peace." Asami rested her chin on her palm with an amused faced.

"You look familiar, now that I think about it." She tapped her chin. Korra's heart dropped. Of course everyone knows she's in a band. But not the 'oh my god it's Korra from Fire Ferrets!'. More like 'oh god, is that Korra from Fire Ferrets?". They had a bad reputation for, well, being bad.

"I know! You're in a band! The Fire Bats?" The younger girl chuckled. Maybe she could lie her way out of this. She bit her lip and thought better than to lie, there was no hiding her failure.

"Close. Fire Ferrets. Have you seen us?" Asami shook her head. Korra's body relaxed a little and she took a swig from her drink.

"No, but I heard all about you from my friend Opal." Korra arched her brow at the mention of her lead singer's name.

"Really? I didn't know you guys knew each other. You could come to one of our rehearsals if you want." Asami's eyes lit up and Korra quickly shut her mouth. They weren't ready to play in front of anybody, let alone Asami.

"She's in a couple of my classes, and I'd love too. You wouldn't happen to have one tonight?"

"Actually yes. I could pick you up if you want." Asami grabbed a napkin and took out a pin from her purse.

"Here's my address. What time should I be ready?"

"Uh. Seven." Korra uttered. "I hope you're not afraid of motorcycles." The cashier scoffed.

"Me? Afraid? I don't think so." She sent Korra a warm smile before saying good bye. Korra watched her retreating form and sighed happily. Little did she know she was falling in love.

Removing her helmet, Korra adjusted her jacket for the third time. She was parked in front of an apartment building, one in better shape than hers. It had a door man and everything. Just as she was about to enter the building, Asami rushed out, running into the other girl in the process.

"Korra! I am so sorry! Are you okay?" Korra chuckled and nodded.

"It takes a lot more to knock me down." She stated smugly. "Come on, your chariot awaits." Asami followed her onto the bike and gingerly wrapped her arms around Korra's torso. The younger girl tensed a bit, but shook it off.

"Safety first." Korra handed her a helmet as she put on her own. "You ready?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah." Asami replied with enthusiasm. Korra kicked the stand up and they were off.

The two-car garage was a mess. One side of the building housed broken down bikes and various parts were scattered everywhere. On the other side was were the instruments were. Drum set in the back, bass and guitar in front, and a mic stand. An old love seat was set across from the instruments. Mako and Bolin lived above the garage, they worked as mechanics during the day.

"-because acoustic covers suck!" Bolin exclaimed. "Besides, That's Korra's territory, not ours."

"What's my territory?" Korra walked into the garage while Asami followed behind. Bolin mocked a glare at his brother.

"Nothing. We were just having a brother talk. You wouldn't get it." Korra flicked his shoulder and sat behind her drum set. She wasn't proud of most things, but this set was her baby. All the heads were worn out from years of jamming out, but the quality sounded the same as it did when she first got it.

"Where's Opal? I thought she said she'd be here for sure." Bolin looked down at his sneakers and hid from Korra's gaze. She groaned inwardly. They couldn't get much done without a complete band.

"Something came up at school. She said she'd try to make it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess she's too busy tonight."

"Of course she is." Korra mumbled. She twirled a drumstick and rolled her eyes. She loved Opal; they had been friends for years, but she was really testing Korra's patience.

"And who is that pretty lady?" Bolin gestures towards Asami, who was sitting on the couch. Her head shot, eyebrows knitted in thought.

"Ah, that's just Asami." Korra waved her off. "She practically begged me to bring her. You know how fan girls get." She could feel Asami's glare but continued. "She's potential groupie material." She winked at the cashier and gave her a lopsided grin.

"That makes sense." Bolin stated. "Welcome to the Fire Ferrets, Ms. Asami! I'm Bolin, that's Mako," he pointed to his brother who was busying himself with tuning. "And I guess you know Korra already." The drummer smiled sheepishly. "We usually have a singer, so tonight we'll just work on the music?" He looked back to Korra, who nodded slowly.

"Something like that." Korra said. She adjusted her seat and stole a glance at the cashier on the love seat. "Alright, let's just run through the set. Then we'll fix whatever needs to be fixed." She hoped they would've have to fix anything.

They started off with Shake It Off, though it sounded weird without vocals. Every song they played sounded weird because of the lack of vocals. Korra saw that Asami was tapping her foot and she smiled.

"Asami, can you sing?" Bolin asked after the song finished. They all looked toward the older girl.

"Not very well." She bit her lip and locked eyes with Korra. "I'll probably be a little flat." She admitted shyly, messing with a loose strand of hair.

"None of us are good at singing! It's like, a universal thing." Korra tried. Bolin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! That's a fact." Mako just grunted and Korra took that as a yes.

"Come on! It'll be fun." Korra gestures towards the mic. Asami hesitated, but Korra nodded reassuringly and the older girl stood behind the mic.

"Song preference?" Bolin asked.

"Surprise me." Korra raised her eyebrows and showed a toothy grin.

"Not afraid, are you?"

"You can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes." She turned around put a hand on her hip. This girl would be the death of her.

"Alrighty then."Korra began. "Are you familiar with Surf Curse?" Asami purses her lips.

"I think I've heard of them."

"Good enough for me." She looked at Mako and he nodded. He strummed the beginning chords and Bolin followed suit. Asami wrapped her fingers around the microphone and took a deep breath.

"I would run away from you, if I could

Never really wanted to, but I guess I should run." Korra automatically relaxed and kept the beat. Asami wasn't bad at all.

"I could fall in love with you

But I can't

It's too hard, maybe we'll just pretend." Bolin smiled like a goofball as Asami sang, and looked back at Korra with wide eyes.

'She's good.' he mouthed.

'I know." She mouthed back.

"But it's hard when I don't know what to do.

I'm angry and I'm tired and confused.

I got so many thoughts stuck in my head.

And none of it makes much sense."

Asami jumped to the beat and Korra laughed; she would make a great frontman. An idea popped into her head and she stood up excitedly. Mako gave her a weird look.

"Guys! I just had the best idea of all my best ideas." Mako narrowed his eyes.

"Oh! What is it?" Bolin was jumping up and down now as well like a kid in a candy shop.

"Asami could be our singer!" Mako glanced at his brother and then to Asami, who was toying with the mic chord.

"Well, she's really good and all, but what about Opal?" Bolin asked. Korra sat back down and slumped her shoulders. Opal had missed so many rehearsals, and Asami had a better range than Opal did.

"I just thought that since Opal's always busy so maybe Asami could do it." Her voice got quieter as she spoke.

"I would love too." Asami offered. "But I don't want to make things worse between you guys." She gestured between Bolin and Korra. "You should probably see what Opal wants." Bolin nodded eagerly.

"What do you think Mako?" Her friend shrugged his shoulders. Korra hated his lack of emotion sometimes.

"Opal's apart of this band too. We should wait and see what she thinks."

"Yeah. I'll ask her about it tonight." Korra let out a breath. This was not the way she wanted the conversation to end.

"We should probably finish the set." Everyone nodded in agreement and she started a beat. This was not going how she hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

**Drunk Korra is a fun Korra. thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!**

"Can you hand me that pen?"

Korra and Opal had **decided** to have a study night, much to Korra's objection. She tried to steer clear of band talk, and so far everything was fine. They sat in a comfortable silence, save for the hum of the TV that streamed Cartoon Network. Korra preferred Opal's apartment due to how much bigger it was than her own. Her living room was practically the size of Korra's whole place.

"Why are you so good at that?" Korra pointed toward her friend's drawing, which she was extremely jealous of, and handed her the pen. "You had to have sold your soul for talent like this." Opal laughed and held up her picture.

"It's not that good. Look right here." She pointed to a spot on the page. "That should be wider, and I should've made this line go like this-"

"Okay okay, but to the untrained eye it's a masterpiece. Look at mine." She held up her sketch book as Opal examined it.

"It looks fine, but shouldn't you be study Greek mythology? You're not even taking an art class." She said accusingly. Korra lowered her sketch book in defeat. Studying was not fun; it had the word dying in it! Whenever she dazed off in class, Korra usually ends up doodling on her notes, which was fair more entertaining than listing to Professor Pema talk about the Trojan War.

"I already know about the gods and goddess and demigods and all that crap." She then focused her eyes on the television. "It's like history comes naturally to me. "Opal snorted and shut the TV off. "Hey!"

"That isn't even real history! It's made up, they're all stories. I thought you loved stories? Especially ones with bloodshed."

"Just because I'm not in art doesn't mean I can't draw." She mumbled as she reached for the remote. "I haven't been having the best week." Opal's eyes softened.

"I have a feeling I had something to do with it. I haven't been the best band mate, huh?" Korra didn't want to say yes, but it was true.

"You know Asami, right?" Opal nodded.

"She's in my engineering class. What about her?"

"She was at rehearsal last night, and she's a really great singer." Korra said slowly, letting her friend process where she was going with this. "You've just missed so many practices and it's hard to get anything done and-"

"Korra, I'm sorry for putting you through all of this. As much as I love the band, if Asami can be there, she should do it." She rested her hand on Korra's arm. "I don't want to be the reason Fire Ferrets don't make it big." A grin broke out on Korra's face and she took Opal in her arms.

"Thanks, Opal! I'm glad that was resolved. I still want you to be involved somehow, though. You've been with us since the beginning."

"Really? I guess we need a manager, right?"

"Yeah! That sounds great!" Opal chuckled and released her friend, turning her attention back to her sketches.

Korra released a sigh and started flipping through the channels."Now that that's resolved, you should probably get back to studying. Rome wasn't built in a day." Korra rolled her eyes and opened her text book.

"It's Greek mythology, not Roman." She mumbled. She hated Roman mythology. Okay, hate was a strong word, she loathed Roman mythology. She peeked at her friend who was busying herself with her phone. "Um, I thought we agreed no phones during study session."

Opal rolled her eyes. "Back off, mom. It's Bolin. He wants to know if I'm busy."

"And you said?

"I said I'm not."

Korra ran a hand through her short hair and released a breath. "I guess that means I have to go home." She gathered her book and put in her backpack. Opal had a habit of ditching if it was Bolin. Her mom, Su, didn't like it too much and asked Korra to keep an eye on her. She hated babysitting.

"I'm so sorry, Korra. I promise I'll make it up to you, scout's honor." She held up her free hand and gave Korra a salute. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah yeah, just don't forget to use protection." She said with a wink and ran out of the apartment, nearly missing the pillow that Opal had thrown at her.

"And then she ditched me!" Korra swung vigorously at the punching bag, which almost hit Kai. "I'm a good friend, you know? All I wanted to do was study, which I don't even like doing!" She threw more punches.

"Here's an idea; express your feelings with words instead of actions." She wiped her forehead and glared at the boy. "I'm just saying its hard to know how you feel about something when you don't show any emotion."

"I show plenty of emotion!" She sent a round house kick to the bag, knocking it off. Kai looked at the bag, then back to her. "See?" She panted.

"I am not paying for that." He laughed. Korra picked it up and set it against the wall; someone else could deal with it. She made her way to the locker room and changed quickly. She still had class and she was in no mood to pay attention today.

Saying bye to Kai, Korra jumped on her bike and set course for the community college. Her parents had begged her to go to a bigger school, preferably Republic City Unity. That was the best of the best, but it also was the most expensive. Korra hated asking for money, especially from her parents. She wanted to do things on her own, and once she had saved up enough, she registered for one class. It wasn't going to get her anywhere, but it was a great way to spend her Friday afternoons.

"And after being away from Ithaca for so long, his home became full with suitors." Korra tapped her fingers on her desk. This was a snooze fest. Her eyelids grew heavy and a yawn escaped her mouth. She jumped when she felt her phone vibrate. Making sure Pema had her back turned, she checked her phone.

'Hey, it's Asami. Opal gave me your number. I was wondering if you were free tonight?'

Korra felt herself grin like an idiot.

'Yeah, I'm free. What'd you have in mind?' She glanced at the front of the room and saw Pema reading from the textbook. Her phone buzzed a minute later.

'Mako invited Opal and I to a club. I assume Bolin's going as well.' A frown quickly replaced the grin as Korra read the message. Of course Mako would crush on Asami. Why didn't he invite her, anyway? Her thumbs levitated above the screen, unsure if she should go.

'I'll try to make it, I have a huge essay due Monday and that should keep me busy all weekend.' That was a lie. She had finished that paper Tuesday in case something like this happened.

"Korra, please pay attention." Korra's face reddened and she hid her phone on her lap. Before class was over she checked her phone.

'Okay :)' Korra raised an eyebrow at the emoji. She put her phone in her pocket and laid her head on her desk.

"Psssst."

"PSSSSSST."

Something hit her on the head. Her eyes flashed opened and she turned around to confront the idiot.

"What?!" Iron II was seated behind her, his face full of fear as Korra glared at him.

He pointed to her feet. "I was wondering if you could hand me that pencil?" She bent down and grabbed the pencil then lightly threw it on his desk. "Thanks." He whispered.

"Yeah whatever." This wasn't helping her mood.

"Hey, Naga." As soon as she opened the door her dog came rushing for her. Korra rubbed her head and went to the kitchen to get her a treat. "Did you miss me?"

"Nah, it was pretty quiet actually."

Korra jumped at the sound of Opal's voice. "Wha- how did you get in here?" Opal tossed a key up and caught it.

"You gave me a spare key, doofus. And before you ask, I'm here to help with your outfit tonight."

Korra crossed her arms in detest. "There is no way I'm letting you help me with clothes. And why didn't anyone tell me about tonight?" She plopped down on the couch and Opal followed. "I don't even wanna go."

"You're going and you're going to enjoy yourself." She dragged Korra to her room and rummaged through the closet. "Oh my god, you should really clean this out." She said as she held up a t-shirt from jr. high. Korra stole it from her grasp and balled it back up.

"This has sentimental value. I had my second kiss in this shirt." Opal snickered.

"It says chick magnet. They must've really liked you." Korra threw the shirt at her and cheered when it hit her face. "Rude. I think I found something appropriate for tonight's activities." She held up a white v-neck with a black vest.

"This totally doesn't scream gay." Korra remarked, reluctantly grabbing the clothes. "You're the best, Opal."

Opal either didn't catch the sarcasm or chose to ignore it. "You're welcome. I also found some jeans in here." She ducked back into the closet and pulled out worn out skinny jeans.

"Thanks." She grumbled. This was going to be interesting.

The club was loud. Too loud for Korra's ears, which is saying a lot considering she's a drummer. She rode with Opal and Bolin; Mako was supposed to pick up Asami. She frowned at the thought, Mako and Asami. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Korra watched the dance floor from the bar, not wanting to partake in any of this. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Asami.

"Hey, Korra! I've been looking for you." Her heart fluttered. She had looked for her? She's so nice... "-wondering if you wanted to?" Damn her daydreaming.

"I'm sorry?" She pointed at her hears, indicating that she couldn't hear. Asami giggled and took the seat next to her. The scent of jasmine filled the air. Asami was dressed in a tight, red dress that showed her figure rather well. Korra had to keep and an on her drink so she wouldn't stare.

"I asked if you wanted to dance." She half yelled over the music. Asami just asked her to dance. Her and Asami. Dancing. At the same time. Together. This moment was almost perfect. Almost.

"Asami, Mako's looking for you." It was Bolin. Damn that Mako. Damn it to hell. Asami smiled apologetically at the younger girl before scampering off to the dance floor.

"How's it hanging, pretty lady?" Bolin asked. Korra ordered another drink. She had a feeling she'd need it.

"I'm great, Bo."

"With as many drinks as you've had? I'd think you'd feel amazing!" He grabbed one of the empty glasses and sniffed it.

"Dude, what are you doing."

Bolin set down the glass and grinned. "Whiskey, eh? I don't think you can handle it." Korra stole a glance at Asami, who was grinding on Mako. The sight made her gag. She let her eyes linger on the pair, watching how their bodies moved together to the music. He whispered something in Asami's ear and she giggled.

"Is that a challenge?" Bolin's eyes widen and his playful grin grew. "You can't handle your liquor, Bo. Maybe this isn't a good idea." She took one last look at the dance floor and something inside of her snapped. "You know what? Let's do it!" Screw Mako. She was going to have fun tonight.

"That a girl! Bartender, ten shots." He slammed down the money on the bar and watched with glee as the shot glasses filled. "Alright, we get five a piece. First one to puke loses."

He spilt the glasses between them and counted down. "You can still back out."

Korra shook her head and concentrated on the liquor before her. "I never back out. Not from a challenge this good." Bolin shrugged.

"On three. One, two, three!" They grabbed for the first shot; Korra downed it with no problem. Korra was on her third one when Bolin ran to the bathroom. After finishing her shots, Korra went to check on her friend. She was careful to avoid drunken dancers, they looked like they would puke at any time.

"Bolin? Are you okay?" She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. The music was blaring and Korra cursed whoever was responsible for house music. "Bo?" She pressed her ear against the door and grimaced when she heard the sound of vomit hitting water. "Oh my god, that's gross." She hurried away from the bathroom and found herself on the dance floor. The liquor was starting to get to her and she found a hard time keeping balance.

A pair of arms arms steadied her shoulders. "Whoa, I think you've had too much to drink." Asami purred in her ear. At least that's what Korra thought, though she was under the influence so it could have been her subconscious.

"She could never handle her liquor." That was Opal. She was being steered to a booth and happily sat down. Her head was spinning.

"I'm fine, Bolin's the one you should've worried about." She slurred. Opal patted her shoulder.

"Oh, you poor lightweight." The two girls laughed at Korra's confused expression. She flexed her right arm and said "Does this look like a lightweight to you?" Asami covered her mouth, trying to suppress a laugh.

"I better take her home before she does something stupid." Opal muttered, looking at her drunken friend.

Asami helped Korra to her feet and put an arm around her shoulders. "I can take care of her. She can stay at my place. She shouldn't be left alone."

Opal nodded. "Are you sure you're up for babysitting? She isn't easy." Korra's head rested on the older girl's shoulder and she murmured something about not being easy in bed.

"I think I can handle it."

"I owe you one." Asami grinned and helped Korra to the exit.

"Hey, where're you going?" Mako ran up to the girls, eyeing the drunk on Asami's side. "Oh my god, she's passed out, isn't she?"

"I'll knock you out, you little shit. Watch your back." Korra threatened. Mako cracked a smile and shook his head.

"In your dreams. You need help with that one? She can be a hassle?" Asami tightened her grip around the younger girl.

"I've heard. But no, we'll be fine. Right Korra?"

Korra's head rolled up and she blinked at Asami. "As long as I'm with you, pretty lady." Mako choked back a laugh as Asami's face heated up.

"I'm never gonna let her live that down." Mako said between laughs. "Good luck."

"Thanks. C'mon Korra, let's get out of here."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the story! Thanks for the reviews.**

The first thing she noticed was how soft the sheets were. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Looking around, she noticed how big the room was. She was in a queen sized bed, which was fitted with red sheets and an abundance of comfortable pillows. A large single window was covered with sun-blocking curtains. There was a clock on the night stand, along with two pills and a glass of water. She took them and walked slowly towards the window. Her throat was on fire, resulting in a hoarse voice. Her head was throbbing and she hoped those pills would kick in soon.

She peered through the curtains. This place looked familiar.

"Glad to see you're awake." She turned to see Asami in the doorway. She was dressed in pajama pants and a tank top. Korra averted her eyes in fear of her cheeks turning red. "I was afraid you'd get sick last night. I see you found the Advil."

Rubbing her head, Korra nodded. "Yeah, thanks. How did I get here? Opal didn't pawn me off on you, did she?" A smile tugged at Asami's lips as she went to the night table and picked up the glass of water.

"No. She offered to take you, but I insisted. She had to look after Bolin anyway." Damn, she was so considerate Korra thought.

"Is he okay? I could've swore I heard him puking his guts out." Asami nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Korra tried not to notice.

"He's fine. He'll just have to drink plenty of water, and you should do the same." She handed Korra the glass and watched as she took a sip, which immediately relieved her throat.

"I didn't say anything I'll regret later hopefully." She joked, but Asami avoided her gaze and walked out of the room. Korra was on her heels. "What happened? Did I confess my undying love for Taylor Swift?" The older girl ignored her and went to the kitchen. "Oh god, did I tell you something? Something I shouldn't have?"

"I have pop tarts, frosted flakes, or waffles." She pulled out a package of strawberry pop tarts and handed them to Korra. She took them without hesitation and went back to their early conversation.

"Listen lady," she snapped somewhat seriously. "I have a right to know what stupid stuff I did while drunk." Asami just laughed and unwrapped her own pop tart. Korra could feel her ears go red.

"You're cute when you're mad." She said between giggles, and that got Korra's attention. She just got called cute. By Asami. Asami 'the Taco Bell cashier'. Asami the girl who made her heart hurt. The one and only Asami.

"I'm not fully aware of what's happening right now, terrible hangover." She rubbed her temple and hoped Asami would buy it. "I appreciate what you did, but I should get going. I have to feed my dog, go to the gym,"

"And finish that essay, right?" Korra bit into her pop tart. Did she forget about that? "You should take a shower, I have some extra clothes for you so you don't have to smell like cigarettes and cheap booze." Korra shook her head. Did she really smell that bad?

"Yeah, yeah. Super long essay that I have to do. Busy weekend." She got up and stuck out her hand. "Thanks again. I should really get going though, I'll shower when my essay is finished." Asami gave her a confused look. Korra almost retracted her hand and made a beeline for the door, but Asami firmly grasped her hand.

"Anytime. I enjoy the company." She quickly pulled Korra into a hug and the younger girl practically melted. She still smelled the jasmine perfume from the night before. Asami rested her chin on Korra's shoulder and sighed. Korra broke away before things got awkward and dismissed herself.

"So, how'd it go?" She was tempted to stab Opal with her pencil, but thought better of it.

"I hate you." She said through gritted teeth. Opal made it hard to be nice sometimes. "Next time we go out, I'll be the designated driver, got it?"

Rolling her eyes, Opal went back to her drawing. Korra focused on her computer; she still had to check for spelling errors and whatnot. It was a pain, but it had to be done. Every time she looked up, Opal was on her phone. Her message alert went off every five seconds it seemed like.

After the tenth message, she was done. "Opal! For the love of Raava, please silent your phone." She pleaded. Opal glanced up from her phone and smirked. "What?"

"At least I have a phone." Korra knitted her eyebrows. What game was she playing?

"What's that supposed to mean? Mine is right-" she felt both of her pockets; they were empty. "Oh no." She groaned. She must've left it at Asami's place.

"Asami likes your background." The color drained from her face. She had a specifically difficult password. How the hell did Asami guess it? She bolted out of the apartment as Opal yelled after her.

"You should change your password!" Korra made a mental note to kick her ass later.

She raced to the apartment complex. Normally she wouldn't be this worried, but she had important stuff on that phone. Stuff that Asami should NOT be allowed to see.

She parked the bike and ran up to the lobby. There was no one at the front desk, so she was on her own. To her right was the elevator, and to her left was the front desk. Couches and chairs were scattered wherever they could fit, along with ridiculous paintings hung on the walls.

"Shit, what floor does she live on?" Korra bit her lip. Considering the size of her place, Korra guessed somewhere on the top floor. As she examined the floor numbers, she felt a cool hand trace down her arm, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I was about to go looking for you." Asami held out Korra's phone. "Opal said you were going crazy." Korra took her phone and unlocked it. Asami gave her an amused look. "I didn't mess with anything, if you were wondering." Korra looked up for a moment and shook her head.

"I trust you. I just don't like not having my phone on me."

"I know the feeling." Asami mused. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Just Opal being a dick, so no. Nothing important." She noticed Asami was carrying her purse. "You got a date?" She wiggled her eyebrows and received a smack on the arm.

"Mako invited me to go catch a mover." She tried to keep a smile, a genuine smile for the girl. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed. "You're his best friend right? Anything I should know before I invest too much time into him?"

"Uh." She could end it right now. Just a few words, and bam. This 'relationship' would be over before it began. Korra sighed. Why did she have to be a good person?

"He's a great guy, Asami. You have nothing to worry about." She said assuringly. Asami's eyes softened. "Tell him we have rehearsal tonight."

"Sure. See you around Korra." She walked past Korra and the scent of her perfume filled the air. Korra watched her retreating form until she got into her car. She was in deep.

"He better not break her heart." Korra turned the drum key and hit the drum. She was the first one to get to the garage, and she used this valuable time to tune her set. She had a habit of talking to herself when she was alone. She wasn't crazy. Just bored. After tuning all three toms, she worked on the snare. A crack raced down the middle of the drum from years of taking a beating. Korra didn't have enough money to buy a new head, which is why she was hoping the gig would go great.

"There. Good as new. Kinda." She settled in her cushioned seat and waited for someone else to show up. Being a leader was hard. No one ever listened to Korra when she tried to be serious. It must be her size. While she had the muscle of a linebacker, she was as short as a jockey. She dressed like a high school boy, usually basketball shorts and a cut off t-shirt, along with a backwards cap. Sometimes she had trouble getting into bars or clubs because she looked younger than her age. It was a struggle.

"I thought you'd be here." Mako walked in, throwing up his guitar pick and catching it in the air. Korra tried to keep a straight face. "Bolin should be here in a few. Asami is parking the car."

Korra twirled her drumstick as Mako got set up. The side door opened and Asami rushed in. Korra averted her eyes from the girl.

"Hey Korra. How's that essay?" Korra gulped. Did she really care, or was she just making small talk?

"It's a pain in the ass, but I'm almost done." She looked up to see Asami smile. God that smile.

"Glad to here it. Mako was telling me that you're only taking one class?" Korra had to keep herself from growling at Mako. She could embarrass herself on her own, no help was needed.

"I just found one class that I could afford for now. Money's kind of tight." She admitted. "But after a few gigs, I should have enough for my generals." She added quickly.

Asami took a seat on the couch. Mako strummed a few chords and occasionally stole a glance at the cashier. Korra narrowed her eyes at the pair. She felt her chest tighten as she played around with the kick pedal.

"Wow, you guys sound horrible." Bolin joked as he walked in with Opal. His shirt, pants, and face were covered in grease. Opal kept her distance.

Mako narrowed his eyes at his brother. "What have you been doing?"

Bolin sauntered over and flexed his muscles. "Oh you know, manly stuff." Korra laughed. "What? Fixing a car is manly!"

"I fix cars." Asami admitted shyly. Bolin looked at her in surprise.

"You?" He looked her up and down, shaking his head. "I don't see it." Asami crossed her arms defensively and arched an eyebrow.

"Really? Who do you think made my car? Or my scooter?" Bolin's face fell in defeat.

"But you work at Taco Bell! And you go to school-"

"For engineering." She finished. "I would've figured you put two and two together." Korra let out a hearty laugh at Bolin's embarrassed expression.

"Nice one, Bo."

"You didn't know either!" Everyone turned to Korra. She hadn't known. What Asami did besides work and school, she never bothered to ask. She thought Asami was a part time model or maybe even someone's mistress. She certainly had the looks.

"Alright, I didn't know. But just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't work on cars and stuff." Asami gave her a small smile while Bolin tried to recover.

"That's not what I said. I just, she, ugh! Whatever. Let's just get this over with." He pulled his bass on and hooked it up to the amp. Korra adjusted her hat and stole one last look at Assmi, who was grabbing the mic.

"Okay, since we have a newbie I'll go over the set. Taylor Swift is a must, but I was told we could only pick one of her songs." She glared at Mako and he rolled his eyes. "We play a little of everything. Anything that's popular on the radio and then some."

"We're pretty much the best cover band of any cover band." Bolin stated. Mako shook his head.

"Yeah, sure. So we play about five songs, until we get a better gig or something. Our manager should get right on that." She teased. "First song," she held up a finger. "Closer, preformed by the ever so beautiful twin sisters Tegan and Sara."

"You have good taste." Asami grinned. Korra's heart fluttered at the sight. "Ready?" Korra nodded and counted off.

"Two, three, four."

'All I wanna get is

A little bit closer

All I wanna know is

Will you come a little closer?'

Her voice was like velvet and Korra could listen to her sing for hours. Her eyes closed as she listened intently. She was so lost in Asami that she almost missed her cue. Everything seemed right.

Korra hit the snare just a little too hard. She went to hit it again when her stick went clean through the head. She expected a nice, clean sound. Instead it sounded like paper ripping.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath. Everyone stopped playing and Mako took off his guitar. He came over and inspected the head. "Duct tape?" Korra asked. He shook his head and held out his hand.

"Not this time. Drum key." Korra handed him the key and watched as he unscrewed the head. "You need to be more careful, we barely have enough to get along as it is, Korra. You know that." He scolded. She glared at the back at his head and stuck her tongue out.

"Hey, it's not my fault that this is a piece crap." Mako trashed the head and went to look for a spare.

"I don't know why I'm surprised." He said under his breath. Korra's eyes flared and she stood up, sticks in hand, ready to attack. Bolin tapped his fingers together nervously. Korra was about to explode. Asami joined Mako while Opal went to contain Korra.

"Korra, let's go outside." She took the sticks from her hands and held Korra's arms. She shook her off and went outside. "Korra!" She ignored her friend and kept walking. Angry tears fell down her face and she kept a brisk pace. Anywhere was better than here.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for taking so long with this update. I would say I've been busy but that's a lie haha. I wanna thank everyone for sticking with me so far. I really enjoy the reviews! Thanks for reading!**

Korra settled into her couch and took a deep breath. The night's events played over in her head. She was more embarrassed than anything. Mako probably didn't realize he was being a jerk, he never does. She pulled a blanket over her and closed her eyes.

"Korra?" There was a knock on her door and Korra jumped. She couldn't make out the muffled voice and walked up to the peep hole. "I know you're home. I saw your bike out back." It was Asami. She unlocked the door and opened it. Asami quickly looked up and studied the younger girl. Her hair was probably a mess. She was dressed in a tank top and a pair of athletic shorts. It was apparent that she wasn't expecting company tonight.

"What's up." Her voice was dull, her eyes focused on the floor instead of the girl in front of her.

"Can I come in?" Korra moved back and Asami walked past her. "I was a worried when you left, we all were." Korra exhaled through her nose and sat back down on the couch. Asami hesitated before joining her. "Opal thought you would do something reckless."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me." She felt a hand cover her own. Korra jumped."Mako just gets on my nerves sometimes."She admitted. Asami's hand tightened and Korra looked up at her. A look of empathy etched her face, her eyes filled with worry.

"After you left, Mako was really upset." Korra scoffed. Of course he was. "He was upset with himself, Korra." She had a hard time believing that. "He wanted to apologize." Asami urged, her grip tightening slightly.

"So he sent you instead of coming himself. Such a gentlemen." She said harshly. Asami frowned at her tone. "Asami, he does this kind of thing all the time. I'm used to it. You don't have to help him out with. He should know better, anyway." She gave her an assuring smile. Asami didn't seem convinced but didn't say anything.

"He didn't send me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Her voice was soft. Korra squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. I'm okay. I'll talk to Mako in the morning. Maybe knock some sense into him." Literally. The older girl just smiled and let go of Korra's hand. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"I get off work at eleven, maybe we could get lunch?"

"As long as it's not Taco Bell." Korra joked, patting her torso. "It's messing with my figure." She walked with Asami to the door and had to stop herself from hugging the cashier. She was surprised wen Asami wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her in. Korra awkwardly put her hands on Asami's sides.

"Sounds perfect." Her breath tickled Korra's ear and she fought back a shudder. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Asami backed away and waved sheepishly as she left.

After Korra locked the door, she returned to the couch. She couldn't stop smiling, and she had a feeling she knew why. Her thoughts shifted to Mako. She knew he sent Asami. Why did he have to act so weird towards her? After the breakup, everything was normal. Until Asami showed up...

She shook her head. This wasn't her fault. This didn't even involve her. Korra pulled out her phone and sent Mako a text asking if they could go to the gym tomorrow. Her phone lit up, and Mako said sure. Short and sweet. Korra rolled her eyes and burrowed deeper into the couch, thoughts of Mako and Asami swimming in her mind.

The gym was empty. Korra had gotten up before the sun, a bad habit of hers. The smell of sweat lingered in the air, which she had grown used to. Korra liked being the only one here; she could yell and grunt as much as she wanted to without getting weird looks. She went over to the radio and turned it on. She wrapped her hands in boxing tape and started on the punching bag. Opal had called Tenzin about her meltdown last night, so she had to see him today.

She swung hard at the bag, watching with satisfaction as the bag broke off the chain. Another bad habit. The radio turned off and Korra scowled.

"I was listening to that." Mako went to pick up the bag and reattached it.

"Now you're listening to me. Korra, you know how much I care about you." He began, scratching the back of his neck. "I hate this. I know I can be oblivious to your feelings, and I'm sorry." He was frustrated.

"Mako," Korra sighed. "You really know how to push my buttons, I'll admit that. Do you go too far? Sometimes. Even if you don't realize it. It's just something you have to work on, okay?" She wasn't being as hard on him as she should be, she knew it. But the look in his eyes screamed for forgiveness. She held out her fist. A small smile formed on his mouth and he bumbed fists with Korra's.

"I'll try." That was all she could ask for. "I just really like Asami, and I don't want it to end up like us." He said. Korra's eyes fell and she lowered her fist. She didn't blame him; they argued all the time when they were together. He doesn't deserve that. Asami definitely didn't deserve that.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." She assured him. She didn't want to cause anyone the pain she went through. "Trust me." Their eyes locked and she offered a smile. "But I still have to kick your ass, for good measure." Mako stifled a laugh and grabbed his bag, pulling out his boxing gloves.

"Fine, I deserve. Don't hold back." She helped him tighten the gloves and smirked.

"Oh don't worry, I won't."

"I'm glad you could make it." Korra sat down in one of the office chairs and rested her head on her palm. "Opal informed me on the incident last night." Tenzin put on his reading glasses and got his notes out of his desk drawer. Korra rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't even a bad blow up, honest." Tenzin arched a brow and Korra sunk lower into her seat. "Okay, it was above average."

"From what Opal told me, Mako seems to be your problem. Perhaps your history has something to do with it."

"We talked about it and everything is fine now."

Tenzin silently shook his head. "Things don't work that fast, Korra. It takes time to fix a relationship. Especially a complicated one. It seems to me that Mako is the root of your anger, at the moment at least." Korra considered his words.

"So what's your suggestion? Stay away from him until I can control myself?" She tapped her feet impatiently. Tenzin scribbled down something on his note pad and ripped it out.

"Yes, that's one of them." He handed her the small sheet of paper. It was a prescription.

"Uh, I thought you aren't allowed to give prescriptions?"

"Give that to your doctor the next time you go, which should be soon." He answered. Korra folded the paper up and put it in her pocket. "He may think you won't need it, but I just want to make sure." She couldn't be mad, he was just trying to help. But medication? She wasn't mentally insane. By the next visit he would put her in the looney bin.

"I'll go as soon as possible, promise." Tenzin nodded. She glanced at her watch. Class was in fifteen minutes. "Uh, I gotta go. Don't want Pema to yell at me for being late again." Tenzin chuckled.

"I know, she can be very threatening." His voice was quiet and Korra laughed. "Be careful Korra. See you next week."

The sun glared in her eyes and she regretted sitting by the window. It was only 9:30 a.m. Class had started at nine, and Korra was usually asleep by now. They were supposed to be working on an individual assignment. Something about Odysseus and his struggle to get back to Ithaca.

Her paper, or papers, were turned in within fifteen minutes. She had forty-five minutes to kill. Putting on her earphones, Korra rested her head on the desk and closed her eyes. She had a lunch date later. With Asami. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of the cashier.

"It's not a date." She thought. Asami was just a very attractive friend who made Korra forget how to form words sometimes. "Okay, you might think it's a date, but she doesn't!" This was a one-sided crush, the worst kind.

Her thigh vibrated. She fished her phone out of her pocket and read the message. It was Mako.

'Got a new snare head for a decent price. I'll put it on after work. You should come by and check it out.'

Korra raised a brow in surprise. He was really trying to get out of the doghouse if he went out and bought a snare head.

'I'll come by tonight. See you then.' She hit send and went back to relaxing. At least she tried to.

"Korra." It was Iroh. He gently tapped on her shoulder. She removed her headphones and gave him a look.

"What." She hissed.

"People have said you've been hanging around Asami Sato, is it true?" Korra knitted her eyebrows in confusion. She hadn't bothered to get Asami's last name. It sounded oddly familiar.

"Yeah, what about her?" She saw his eyes light up.

"I was wondering if you could introduce me, you know." He winked. Korra narrowed her eyes at the man.

"She's taken, buddy. Maybe next time." His face fell at Korra's words and she fought back a smug look. He wasn't bad looking, Korra could admit it. His face was chiseled. He usually slicked back his black hair, and his eyes always held a sparkle.

"Okay. Sorry if I bothered you." He went back to writing. Korra groaned internally and grabbed a scrap piece of paper to sketch on. "Could you give her my number?" He placed a torn piece of paper on her desk.

"Sure. Can't guarantee anything though." She said flatly. Iroh smiled like an idiot.

"Thanks Korra!" Korra just waved him off and went back to sleep. Hopefully Mako doesn't find out about this.

"-and then he put his arm around me and I thought he was going to faint." Asami giggled between bites of her sandwich. Korra grinned at the sound. She was telling Korra about her first official date with Mako. They had picked Subway; it was cheaper than any of their other options.

"He's a real charmer alright." Korra bit into her chocolate chip cookie and grinned. "He usually waits until the the third date to make physical contact." She mused. Mako wasn't one to show his affection.

"He seemed a little nervous at first. I was the one who held his hand first." She stated proudly. "I think he almost had a panic attack."

"Sounds like Mako." Korra agreed. "Just give him some time, he'll open up eventually. Though you might not want him to."

"Why not?" Asami asked.

"Oh, you know. He's just," Korra stopped, suddenly remembering Iroh's phone number was still in her pocket. "I have something for you." Asami pretended to be taken aback, placing a hand over her chest and gasping.

"We've only known each other for a couple of weeks, this is so sudden." Korra blinked, unamused by Asami's banter. She slid the paper across the table and watched as the older girl inspected it.

"Is this your other phone number?" She teased. Korra's cheeks warmed and she quickly shook her head.

"No! Some guy in my mythology class asked about you and I didn't wanna ruin his mood." Asami ripped the paper and Korra's mouth opened in surprise. "Do you know how long it took me to get rid of that guy? You could at least say you're not interested!" Asami smiled sweetly at Korra and reached for her hand. Korra glanced at their joined hands and gulped.

"Korra," she said lowly, "I don't care about him."I've got all I need right here." She gently squeezed Korra's hand, causing the younger girl to tremble. She got up from her seat and thought of an excuse.

"Oh hey, I forgot to let Naga out! I should probably-" Asami pulled her back down to her seat. She bit her lip and glanced at Korra's. "Um, Asami?" The older girl leaned in, waiting for Korra to do the same. Her heart was racing. She could feel Asami's hot breath on her face and waited for the contact.

"Korra. You were dismissed ten minutes ago." Korra jerked awake. Pema was still at her desk, probably grading papers from earlier. Korra wiped the drool from her chin and gathered her belongings.

"Sorry, must've dozed off. Again." Pema gave her a stern look, but it turned into a smile.

"Try to stay awake next time." Korra gave her a salute and rushed out of the room. She needed to get her head out of the gutter.

After speeding home, she rummaged through her clean clothes, which were kept in a near pile on her bedroom floor. There were only t-shirts and various pairs of skinny jeans, so Korra grabbed a shirt and jeans and changed. She struggled putting in the shirt and her phone started ringing.

"Seriously?" She forced her shirt down over her and hurried over to her bed. Asami's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Are you ready?" Korra readjusted her shirt and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah! Yeah, just, um. Did you decide on a place?" Korra slipped on a pair of Vans and hurried out of the apartment.

"I think I know I place that you'd like. I'll be outside."

"I'm on my way." Korra jumped on her bike and started it up. "See you in a bit."

"Can't wait." She grinned and hung up. As she drove away, the dream she had earlier lingered in her thoughts. It had seemed so real, and Asami was so willing. Korra's grin faded. None of that can happen. She's with Mako. And why would she be interested in Korra anyway?

She pulled up to Asami's building and watched as Asami hurried over to her. She was dressed in a red button up shirt and a pair of white shorts that showed off her long, pale, legs. Korra directed her attention to the handle bars and held her breath as Asami took her place behind her.

"I've been waiting all day for this." She said in Korra's ear as she wrapped her arms around the younger girl's torso and rested her chin on Korra's shoulder.

Korra just nodded. Hopefully she could make it to the restaurant without making a fool of herself. As they took off, Asami hugged Korra a little tighter than necessary and Korra tensed up. Asami will be the death of her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Trigger warning. Mentions of abuse are in this chapter. Thanks for reading!**

Subway. It had to be Subway. Korra wasn't surprised, but everything was awkward. The sweet smell of healthy hit them as soon as they walked in. They ordered they're sandwiches and Korra found them a table.

"This was the surprise? Subway?" Asami smiled and took a bite.

"Hey, I figured it was a nice change of pace from Taco Bell. Besides, this is so much better for you."

Korra scoffed, but ate her sandwich. "Then why do you work at Taco Bell if you like this place so much?"

"It was the only place hiring at the time. Do you honestly think I would willingly be a Taco Bell cashier?" Korra hid behind her sandwich and blushed.

"I would." She admitted softly. Asami chuckled.

"Of course you would. I think you would look cute in a Taco Bell uniform." Korra's blush grew warmer at the compliment. She noticed how dangerously close their hands were and her heart sped up.

"I think I'll stick to music for now. Speaking of, Mako went out and found a not broken snare head and he's putting it on tonight. You should come too." She took a sip of her drink as Asami considered her offer.

"I'll swing by after class if I have time. I'm sure Mako wouldn't mind the extra company." Korra shrugged. "He mentioned you're rather musically talented."

Korra blinked. "Um, I play a few instruments, yeah. I wouldn't say talented." Asami nibbled on what was left of her sandwich.

"My dad made me take piano lessons when I was six. It was torture." Asami groaned. Korra smiled.

"Learning guitar wasn't a walk in the park either. Check it out." She held out her left hand for Asami to see. She ran her fingers over Korra's calloused hand. "Sometimes I would start bleeding, but I played anyway."

"Wow." Asami let go of her hand. "What else can you play?"

"Drum set is my main instrument. Other than that, I can play guitar, ukulele, trombone, and a little bit of flute." She counted on her fingers.

"I bet you were one of those band geeks in high school." The older girl teased, a playful grin spreading on her face. Korra snorted and shook her head.

"I may have participated in marching band, but I am no geek. It's harder than you think." She remembered how hot it was during band camp and how heavy her snare drum was sitting on her shoulders. That's part of the reason why she started lifting.

"I'm sure you have the muscles to prove it. I had a few friends that were in band, so I understand the gist of it." Asami wiped her mouth with a napkin and Korra thought it was the most seductive way to wipe off a mouth.

"Uh, yeah. My calves are super toned. All the marching and whatnot." She watched as the cashier licked a spec of mayo off of the corner of her lips. Korra choked on her drink.

"Korra, are you okay?" Asami asked alarmed. Korra waved her off while still struggling.

"I'm fine, just-" she let out a cough. Asami got up and went over to her, wrapping a arm around her shoulder. She gently patted Korra's back. "Thanks." She said sheepishly. "I thought that made it worse?"

Asami shrugged and returned to her seat. "You looked in dire need of help. Speaking of, I was wondering if you could tell me about Mako?" Her voice was higher than usual, and she avoided Korra's gaze.

Korra was a little disappointed. She kept a smile on her face and decided to get it over with. "What about him? He's a nice guy, well, as nice as guys are." Keep it short, Korra. "Mako is my best friend, I've known him for a long time. Trust me when I say you're in good hands."

Asami looked up from the table and grinned. "He's really sweet, but something about him seems off."

"Probably his douche personality." Korra muttered under her breath. Asami raised an eyebrow in question. "I mean, he is so nice. Nice guy. Nice hair too." She was running out of compliments.

"You've said nice like, five times. Anything else I should know?"

Korra bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, um, we went out a few years ago." She winced. Asami's eyes widen but she stayed silent. "Mako was different back then. More self-centered I guess. He's changed a lot actually." Korra said quickly. She reached in her pocket for her phone when she felt a thin slip of paper. A frown settled on her face as she remembered the boy in her class.

"What's wrong?" Korra handed her the number and watched as Asami looked at it. "Oh god, it's Iroh." She growled. Korra found herself grinning.

"Yeah. He asked about you. Thought I would do him a favor." She joked. Asami pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Korra dropped the smile. "What?"

"I dated Iroh. A few months ago. It wasn't the best relationship." She rubbed her wrist. Korra took the hint. She narrowed her eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" She asked, her voice low. Asami's eyes fell, refusing to meet Korra's. The younger girl got up and tugged on Asami's hand. "Let's go for a walk." She insisted quietly.

Asami got up and followed Korra out of the building. "Korra, it's okay. I'm fine." Korra ignored her, locking their arms while they walked. "Korra, please."

Korra stopped and gazed at the sidewalk. Unfortunately she understood what Asami went through, all too well. She knew how hard it was to cover the bruises and to pretend. "Asami, I shouldn't be the one to tell you this. Mako, used to have a hot temper. Whenever we would get in a fight, which was often, and sometimes he would get, physical." Tears threatened to escape her eyelids as she spoke. "His grip was always too tight and he never knew when to stop."

"I'm so sorry Korra. I had no idea." Asami clutched Korra's arm in comfort.

"I really should've told you sooner. I thought Mako had learned his lesson after I kicked his ass..." She mused. That was another reason she got into fighting. "He hasn't had the best childhood. His parents died when he and Bolin were just kids, so he was forced to grow up and provide for the two of them."

"That still doesn't give him the right to hurt anyone, especially you." Asami insisted. Korra started walking again.

"I know, I know. I told him he needed help, but he blew up on me. I thought of he joined me at the gym, he could work out his frustration."

"And how's that going?"

"So far so good. He hasn't lashed out, yet." Mako was good at hiding his emotions, except his anger. Korra found that out the hard way. "You can never be too careful."

Korra felt Asami's hand in hers. Cars rushed by, and the sound of music lingered throughout the air. The pair continued around the block, hand in hand.

"I'm glad you told me this." Asami murmured. Korra shook her head.

"You should've known at the beginning. Just be careful around him." They arrived at the parking lot but refused to let go of one another.

"I will. If you ever want to talk, I'm here." Korra felt Asami's eyes on her and her cheeks reddened.

She nodded and reluctantly let go of the girl's hold. "Same. I better get going. Important stuff to do, naps to take." She rubbed the back of her neck and grinned. Asami laughed and shook her head.

"I wouldn't want to keep you." Before Korra could reply, Asami swept down and have her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "See you around." She said sweetly.

Korra uttered a good bye and stood there for quite a while. Wait, didn't she give Asami a ride here?

"Asami! Wait up!"

Korra threw the ball across the yard and watched as Naga chased after it. The sun was out and there was a slight breeze in the air. Korra's mind wandered back to lunch. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She would have to have a talk with Iroh. That was on the top of her to do list for the week.

Naga galloped back with the ball and dropped the ball. Korra wiped off the slober and put it in her bag.

"C'mon Naga. Time to go." Naga barked and followed her owner. They walked back up to the apartment. Korra made sure Naga had good and water before heading to her bedroom.

She stepped over piles of clothes, clean or not, and opened the window. A cool breeze hit her face and she smiled contently. Her bed was unkept; the covers were thrown across the the mattress and her pillow was no where to be found. Korra plopped down and burrowed under the blanket. Maybe a nap would help.

When she woke up, the sun was no longer out. Moonlight shine through the room. Korra sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She checked her alarm clock and saw that it was 8:34 pm.

"Mako's probably down at the garage." She mused, getting up and grabbing a baseball cap from the ground.

Naga was laying on the couch. Korra gave her a pet on the head.

"I'll be back Naga. Don't pee on anything." She warned. The dog whined, making Korra chuckle.

"Mako, I'm here. Let's see this head." Korra called out.

The garage was quiet. Korra noticed a nice vintage car that wasn't there before. She let out a whistle and went over to inspect the car. The vehicle was jet black, an older mustang Korra guessed. The interior matched the outside, it was leather. As she got closer, Korra noticed a few rust spots on the hood and on the sides.

"Beauty, isn't it?" Mako asked. He wiped his hands with a rag and stuck it in his back pocket. "Found it at a car dealership and thought it was worth the flip. I'm hoping to get sixty thousand for it."

"That's risky isn't it?" Mako and Bolin did this kind of thing a lot. It never ended well.

Mako popped the hood up. Korra poked her head in and narrowed her eyes. She never understood mechanics. "I have a good feeling about this one. And the payout is worth it. I only payed two thousand for it as is." He tinkered around as Korra watched, mesmerized by the way everything seemed to fit together.

"Hey! You know who could help you with this?" Mako shook his head. "Asami!" Korra grinned. She act silly enjoyed messing with cars, and she was good at it. Mako wiped his forehead with his arm.

"I never thought about it. I'll ask her." He grunted. Korra rolled her eyes and went to the other side of the garage.

She saw the snare and grabbed a pair of sticks. It was an Evans head, one of better quality. She played a few taps until she was satisfied. It sounded better than the old head, that was for sure.

"Sounds good, right?" Mako called from the car.

"It's alright." She answered flatly. "I still wanna know how you got this." Korra got up and went to the couch.

"I know a guy who knows a guy." He shrugged. "He owed me a favor anyway." He shut the hood and dusted his hands off. "Bolin thought you should do a solo with your ukulele. We both thought it would be good to switch things up."

They had been trying to get Korra to do this ever since the band was formed. Korra could play the ukulele, but that didn't mean she was great at it. Mediocre at best.

"I think that's a great idea." Asami agreed. She was wearing a white tank top and work pants similar to Mako's. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a tool belt was on her waist. "You should do it Korra." She joined Mako and have him a peck on the lips. Korra frowned.

"I think it would make for a great closer." Mako offered, wrapping an arm around Asami's waist and pulling her closer. "Korra was telling me you could help out with this." He pointed towards the car. Asami circled the vehicle.

She opened the hood and examined it. "Start the engine." Mako hopped into the driver's seat and did as he was told. Once the engine started, Asami scrunched her nose. "It's a miracle this thing made it back here."

Korra, now interested in what was going on, sauntered over to the car. Mako turned the car off and joined them by the hood.

"Hey, it was a good investment. Bolin and I'll have this looking brand new in a few weeks." He put his hands on his hips, a determined look crossed his face. Korra looked at Asami, who shook her head.

"Sure. Korra, how's the drum sound?" Korra smiled at the older girl.

"Sounds pretty damn great. I owe Mako one." She punched him on the shoulder with vigor and he winced.

"Yeah, along with all the other favors." He muttered while rubbing his shoulder. Korra hit him harder and earned a cry of forgiveness. "Ow!" Asami flicked the back of his head and stood by Korra. "What did I do to deserve this?" The girls shared a look. He deserved a lot more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome to Stressed Out! Where the plot's made up and the back stories don't matter! Over the next couple of chapters, I'll dive deeper into Mako's messed up life. I don't hate him, but in this story he's kind of a dick.**

Korra tapped her fingers nervously as she and the rest of the band waited back stage. They were just playing at one of the bars, but Korra always found something to worry about.

She was dressed in a cut off, a pair of skinny jeans, and her old sneakers. One of the lucky things about being a drummer is that she was in the back.

Mako and Bolin were wearing a t-shirt and blazers; Mako's red and Bolin's green respectively. Asami was decked out in a red crop top and a pair of snug, black, jeans. Korra felt underdressed.

"Okay guys, pep talk." Korra started. "Don't suck. If you mess up, keep going. Never give up." She lifted her fist in the air triumphantly.

"Great pep talk, Korra! You always know how to keep our heads up!" Bolin patted her on the back in agreement. "I feel like I could fight a million wolfbats! How about you, Mako?" The older brother crossed his arms.

"It was okay." He teased. Bolin waved him off. "Don't listen to him Korra. It was awesome."

Asami gently touched her arm and offered a smile. She was nervous as well. Her eyes darted everywhere, taking in the new surroundings. Korra grinned playfully.

"Nervous?" Asami narrowed her eyes at the younger girl. Korra chuckled. "Don't be. You'll do great." Asami nodded, though she didn't seemed eased by Korra's words.

"You guys ready to go?" One of the owners came back to the group. Korra eyed her friends before nodding. He waved them off and Korra led the way.

Cigarette smoke filled the air; the bar was dimly lit, making it hard to make out anyone in the crowd. Korra wrinkled her nose in disgust. She sat down at her drum set and twirled her sticks in her hands. Bolin and Mako strapped on their guitar and bass while Asami took her place behind the microphone.

Korra tapped her mic and cleared her throat. "Hey people of Nook's Bar, we are the Fire Ferrets and your entertainment for the next half-hour." The was a low murmur among the crowd.

Asami looked back at her, and Korra have her a thumbs up. The older girl smiled and turned to face the crowd.

Korra hit her sticks together and started a beat. Bolin and Mako followed in. Asami gripped the mic in her hands and tapped her foot along to the beat.

"Sometimes you gotta bleed to know

That you're alive and have a soul

But it takes a song to come around

To show you how"

The crowd cheered as Assmi sang; Bolin bobbed his head while Mako kept a straight face. The lights above them flickered to beat and Korra could see the crowd for a few seconds. They seemed to be enjoying it.

"You fell asleep in my car

I drove the whole time

But that's okay I'll just avoid the

Holes so you sleep fine

I'm driving here I sit

Cursing my government

For not using my taxes to fill

Holes with more cement"

Bolin was jumping now. Korra kicked the bass with enthusiasm and pounded on the toms. The song ended, and the group was met with applause from the crowd before them. The drummer couldn't help but grin at the sight.

They breezed through the rest of the songs. The received hoots and hollers from the crowds as they walked off the stage.

"Holy crap that was amazing! First Nook's Bar, then the Super Bowl." Bolin exclaimed, throwing his arms over Korra and Asami's shoulders.

"Asami, might I say your voice was lovely. I think I saw Mako almost show some emotion back there." He whispered. The girls laughed at their friend while Mako just shook his head. "Korra, your drumming skills were amazing as always." Korra beamed at Bolin.

"You weren't bad either, Bo. And Asami! You were incredible!" She said looking at the older girl. Asami blushed.

"Thanks." Bolin released the girls and went to the car. Mako stayed behind.

"Korra's right. You were great." Mako snaked an arm around Asami's waist and pulled her closer. "I knew you would sound awesome." He planted a kiss on her cheek. Korra stared at her shoes. She hated PDA, especially when her friends did it.

"I better get going. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She waved at the couple. Asami quickly looked at the girl.

"Why don't you stay? I'm sure we can find something to do." She glanced back to Mako. He nodded.

"Yeah, we could get some drinks or watch a mover. Or both." He offered. Korra considered the offer. She would be a third wheel. Like always. She sighed, shaking her head and held up her hands.

"I shouldn't. Opal wants to check out this new book at the library tomorrow and I promised I'd tag along. Id rather be sober for that." She smiled sheepishly. Opal did ask her to go; Korra rather enjoyed the library. That's something she wouldn't admit out loud, though.

"Text me when you get home." Asami said. Korra nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course. Stay out of trouble, and don't forget to use protection Mako." She warned. Her friend gasped.

"What? I wasn't-"

"Keep it in your pants. See you!" Korra interrupted. She broke out in a sprint to avoid Mako's wrath of embarrassment. The look on his face was worth it.

Naga was clawing at the door when Korra opened it. She examined the new marks along with the old ones.

"You really need to stop doing that girl. People are gonna think I'm weird." She patted Naga's head and trudged to the kitchen. The fatigue had set in, and Korra felt like crap. Scanning the fridge, Korra settled on a bottle of water.

She went to the living room, or the room with a tv. It was too small to be called a living room. She sat down on the couch, her eyelids growing heavy. Naga jumped up on the couch and snuggled against her master's legs. Korra smiled at the feeling of soft fur and warmth.

Her breaths grew deeper and slower, and the drummer found it hard to keep her eyes open. Just as she was phasing out, her phone vibrated. Her body jerked in surprise. Naga lifted her head up. Korra cursed when she saw it was Asami.

'Hey! You said you'd text me when you got home. Just making sure you're okay.'

Korra's thumbs danced across the screen.

'Sorry. Fell asleep.' She hit send and laid back down. She rested her eyes for a second, but found that they refused to open. Sleep was inevitable.

"I can't believe they don't have it!"

The pair had been browsing the shelves all morning in search of Opal's book. Korra had practically memorized the order of books and grew tired of looking. Opal had asked the librarian about it, and the book hadn't come in yet. That didn't stop Opal from looking.

"Here's a wild idea, since they don't have it, let's leave!" Opal sat down at one of the tables and rested her head on the surface.

"I'm sorry Korra. I know you have class today, but I swear that it's here!" Korra took a seat by her friend.

"Don't worry about it. How about we come back next week? It has to me in by then, and if not we'll go somewhere else. Deal?"

Opal raised her head, a smile on her face. "That would be great. Thanks."

"Okay. Everyone get out their books." Korra leaned back in her chair and exhaled. Class had moved from Friday to Monday, and Korra was not having it. She plopped her book on the desk and folded her arms across her chest.

Pema peered around the room and frowned. Korra wasn't surprised; everyone was either sleeping or mentally some place that isn't there. The teacher rested her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Okay, I know how hard Monday's are. I don't want to be here anymore than you do. Please, just bare with me for the next month." She begged. She received various moans in response. "Good. Now, what can you tell me about Poseidon?"

Korra decided to pay attention today, for Pema. "He's the god of the sea, one of the Big Three, and is responsible for horses." Pema nodded excitedly as Korra answered.

"Yes! Now, what other creatures relate to him?"

Iroh raised his hand. "Cyclops." Pema smiled wide and nodded. Korra sneered. She still had to have a talk with him.

"Correct! Now,"

Korra checked her phone and raised her eyebrows. She had been texting Asami since she fell asleep last night, and every hour Asami would check to see if she was awake yet.

'After class you should come over. I'm alone and bored :( '

'Ah, the terrible twos, loneliness and boredom :P '

"Korra?" Her head jerked up.

"Uh, what was the question?"

"What goddess holds a grudge against Poseidon?"

"Um, Athena." Pema gave her a nod and looked for her next victim. Korra glanced back at her phone.

'Pleeeeeeaase? Mako's at training and Opal is with Bo.'

Korra smirked. Mako had finally joined the pigs. It would do him some good, Korra thought.

'Fine. I guess I can make time for you... But you better have food.'

'Okay! Can't wait :) '

Butterfly's erupted in her stomach and she felt giddy. Asami had that effect on her.

"Korra, please try to pay attention." Pema asked sweetly. Korra slowly nodded and put her phone in her pocket. "Thank you."

She grabbed a stack of papers off her desk and started passing them out. "This is your study guide for the test."

"But it's blank." A boy from the back row said flatly. Pema ignored him.

"As long as you follow this, you'll pass. If you don't take the time to fill it out," she peered at the boy in the back, "then Raava be with you."

Korra fought back a snort and covered her mouth. Pema was by far her favorite teacher. Well, her only teacher, but still. Korra inspected the study guide. So many terms to know, so little time.

"You all should have plenty of time to prepare for the test, which is next Monday for those who forgot already. I'm looking at you, Ginger." The red head twirled a piece of hair around her finger and popped her gum. "Okay. Class dismissed. Stay away from drugs!" She shouted after the students as they rushed out of the classroom.

Korra gathered her things and followed her peers. The campus wasn't very big, it being a community college and all. There were two buildings; the academic building and the sports building. Korra often went to the sports side of the school to let off steam. There was a pool, a basketball court, and a football field.

She didn't wanna brag, but basketball was like a sixth since to Korra. She had considered trying out for the team, but music came first. That didn't mean she couldn't stay in shape.

The sun beat down on her back as she stepped outside. Shielding her eyes, Korra looked around for her bike. Getting up early causes her to forget things, and her parking spot is one of those things. Walking aimlessly through the lot, she sighed in relief when she saw her ride.

She snapped her helmet on and started the bike up. Asami's building wasn't too far from the school, much to Korra's relief. The wind blew against her face as she rode, giving her relief from the sun's heat. After a few turns and red lights, she parked in front of her friend's building.

"She better have food." Korra mumbled as she walked in. As usual, the lobby was empty which Korra found odd. She pressed the up button and got on the elevator. She was greeted to the default elevator music. A shudder ran through her as the music played; this was the worst. The door opened and Korra hurried out, only to be knocked back.

"Hey!" She snapped. "Watch it, I almost-" Asami stood in front of her with her purse in hand. Korra eyed the handbag and a smile slowly formed in her face. "You don't have food, do you?" The older girl hid behind her hands and nodded silently. Korra crossed her arms and faked a glare.

"I thought you were still in class and if have enough time to run down to the super market." Asami said, her voice muffled by her hands. Korra's eyes softened and she pulled Asami's hands down. Those green eyes...

"I was just kidding around, dude. I'll come with you. Besides, you don't know what I like." Korra tugged her into the elevator and hit the button. Asami's face was flushed and she stayed silent. Korra realized she was still holding her hand and quickly released it. "I can't believe Asami Sato doesn't have any food." She teased.

"I haven't been home to eat. I've been working on a final that's due soon and eating doesn't fit into my schedule."

The door opened and the girls walk out. Korra frowned. "You don't eat? That's not okay. Your brain isn't going to work." She pointed out. Asami waved her off. Korra mounted her bike and waited for Asami. The older girl seated herself and wrapped her arms around Korra's waist. "Food is what makes you function, you know." She said over her shoulder.

"I survive on coffee and machine oil. Look at me, I look great!" Korra turned the corner and continued to the store. "Besides, I only get like this when it's really important. After the deadline, I'll be back to normal." Asami yelled in her ear.

Korra found a decent parking spot and turned off the bike, removing her helmet after. Asami hopped off and smoothed out her jeans. Her hair looked amazing, which seemed impossible considering she had worn a helmet. Korra tried to fix her hair but ended up making it worse.

"Korra, your hair looks fine. C'mon! We have food to get." Asami hooked her arm with Korra's and pulled her along into the store. "Now, nothing is off limits. Money is not a problem."

Korra hated taking people's money, even if they insisted she deserved it. Asami pulled the younger girl through the aisles, sometimes stopping to pick up junk food.

"What about these?" She held up a bag of marshmallows. "We could make s'mores! I have a fireplace, remember?" She threw the bag to Korra and rushed to the other aisle, the younger girl in tow. "We'll need chocolate bars... Here they are." She plucked a pack of bars and handed them to Korra. "I'm pretty sure I have graham crackers, so I think we're set."

After checking out and riding back to Asami's. The cashier started the fireplace and went to grab some sticks. Korra opened the bag of marshmallows and popped a few in her mouth.

"Opal told me a rep from Republic Records will be in town this week." Asami emerged from the kitchen with plates and two roasting sticks. She handed one to Korra. "She said you should play for him."

Korra put a couple marshmallows on the stick and stuck it in the fire. Republic Records is one of the biggest music companies in the state, and if Korra could get signed...

"I couldn't do that. I have a band to take care of." She rotated her stick slowly. Being signed would be a great opportunity. Korra could finally make a name for herself.

"Korra, your marshmallow!" Korra snapped out of her daze and pulled the burning stick out of the fire. She blew out the fire and frowned when she saw that her marshmallow had turned black. She plucked it off and settled it on a graham cracker. "I like 'em burnt. Do you think I could go solo?"

Asami bit into her s'more. Korra felt a smile tug on her lips when she saw remnants of food on the older girls face. "Yeah! Why not? You've got a great voice, you're talented in like ten instruments."

"That's true... I just don't think I could do it by myself, you know? I've always been surrounded by family and friends. It would be weird."

"I know what you mean." Asami said softly. Korra regretted saying anything and busied herself by assembling another s'more. They sat in silence, occasionally making small talk about anything.

Korra stifled a yawn. The fire was slowly disappearing. Asami had fallen asleep so Korra cleaned up. After putting the fire out, she grabbed a blanket off of Asami's couch and draped it over the cashier, who had made herself comfortable on the ground before passing out.

Korra decided it was too late to go home and settled on the couch, her eyes growing tired. Before she knew it, she was asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Korra jolted awake. Panting, she wiped her forehead and looked around. She was in Asami's living room, but the girl wasn't there. Korra stumbled over a pile of pillows on the ground. Asami must have slept on the floor.

"Maybe she went to get breakfast." Entering the kitchen, she saw a fresh pot of coffee and a piece of paper next to it. "Had to go to work, made you coffee and there's stuff in the fridge." Korra read aloud. "She sure knows how to treat a guest." After finding the cups, Korra poured herself some coffee.

A roar erupted from her abdomen as she drank the warm liquid. Korra checked the freezer for anything to fill her up.

"Steak, pork chops, popsicles... Oh yes!" Korra's eyes lit up when she spotted the toaster strudels. "Now, where would she keep a toaster? Holy crap." Korra muttered. There on the counter top was the most amazing toaster Korra had ever seen. The machine was silver, and there where eight slots. On the front side there was a timer along with your desired level of heat.

"You can toast eight things? At the same time? I'm in heaven. But maybe I should only have two." Eating the majority of Asami's food was not on her to do list of today. Settling on two strudels, Korra popped them into the toaster and waited.

Her fingers tapped against the smooth countertop as she thought about today's agenda. It was Tuesday. Work out, see Tenzin, start on study guide. Maybe she could invite Opal over. Korra shook her head at the thought. She loved Opal, but sometimes that girl was clueless when it came to helping Korra with school.

The toaster strudels popped up, snapping Korra from her thoughts. She covered the pastries in icing and ate quickly. Checking the time, she cleaned up her mess and was out the door.

"You know," Korra started as She and Kai entered the gym. "We always come here to spar, but I don't think we've ever used the exercise equipment."

Kai rubbed his chin in thought before nodding. "You are correct, Korra. Maybe we should have a new work out plan." He walked over to the line of tread mills and started pressing buttons. "Why don't we start today?"

Korra hopped on one of the machines and chose a decent speed to start out with. They kept at it for the next hour. Whenever Kai would speed up, Korra would go faster. Eventually they maxed out.

Sweat poured from the two and Korra chugged her water down. Kai tossed her a towel and sat next to her.

"I heard about the Republic Records rep. It's a great opportunity, right? You can finally rock it out on the big stage." Kai said, playing an air guitar. Korra rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, Kai. I'm not good enough. And I don't think I could just pack up and leave. I've got too many friends here." She nudged his shoulder and smiled. "I couldn't leave you to fend for yourself."

Kai scoffed and folded his arms. While he was quite a bit younger than Korra, he had grown. He had filled out nicely, his arms were bigger and his face chiseled. Puberty could do wonders.

"Hey, I can handle myself. I think everyone can. You should try, at least." He patted her shoulder gently and went back to work on the treadmill. Korra kept his words in mind as she dismissed herself.

"So? Are you going to do it?"

Tenzin raised a brow, waiting for her to answer. Korra crossed her legs and sighed.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I talked to Kai about it and he said to I for it. Actually, everyone I've talked to said it was a good idea." Tenzin nodded and folded his hands together.

"So they support you?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What about you? You seem to think otherwise of yourself."

Korra winced. As usual, he was right.

"I mean, I'm aware of my talents I guess. It's not like I'm the next American Idol winner or anything. I'm just okay." She said softly.

"Your friends think different, I'm afraid. I think you know you can do it, but you don't want to." He leaned forward on his desk and his eyes softened. Korra reluctantly remained eye contact. "What's stopping you?"

She clenched her fist. It wasn't a what, but a whom. Korra hated herself for getting so torn up about someone, especially someone she couldn't have. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she thought of the cashier.

"I can't just leave." She said sharply. "I've got too much here. I can't." Fresh tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke. She was trembling and a violent sob threatened to escape.

"Deep breaths, Korra." Tenzin was now right beside her. He put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. "You're okay. Everything is okay."

"You're weak."

Korra gripped the edge of the sink. After her episode at therapy, she had rushed home. She was more embarrassed than anything. But it's not the first time she cried in front of Tenzin. He claimed it wasn't a form of weakness, that everyone does it. Korra knew better.

Her reflection stared back at her through the mirror. Her eyes were clouded with tears, but her face was somewhat visible. Too many nights were spent like this. Feeling sorry about herself, hating herself for crying like a child, and the cycle repeated. For years she felt weak, both mentally and physically. That would change.

"I'm glad you to see you, Korra. I was afraid you'd turn down my generous offer."

"This is a once in a life time chance for me, so might as well take it, right?"

Tarrlok chuckled. "You are correct. I've heard great things about you, and I'm eager to begin working with you." He pulled out a folder from a drawer in his desk and slid it across to Korra. "But before we get started, you should sign this."

Korra eagerly took the folder and flipped through its contents.

"It's a contract?" Tarrlok nodded and gestured towards the pen.

"It's your standard contract. Basically, whatever profit you make off of sales the company would take a small percentage. Nothing too big."

Korra skimmed through the papers before signing. Tarrlok grinned and offered a hand. Korra shook it vigorously.

"Welcome to Republic City Records."

 **Sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to update every other week. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I realized how dark the themes in the story is and I apologize if I mislead anyone. I promise for more light-hearted chapters in the future. Thanks for reading!**

"And here is your apartment. Pretty sweet, huh?"

Korra stared in aw at the place. It was twice as big as her old apartment, and in much better condition. Naga bounded in and went right for the leather sofa. Korra grinned at her companion and joined her. As soon as she sat, she sunk in the cushions.

"There's two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized kitchen, and of course, the living room." He gestured around the room with a smirk. Korra almost snorted; the kitchen was way too big for one person, especially one that didn't cook. "As you can tell, every room is furnished with the best furniture the market has."

Korra sunk deeper into the couch and let out a content sigh.

"Tarrlok, this is amazing! I can't thank you enough."

"Think of it as an early reward. If you're going to become the biggest superstar of Republic City, you should live in the best place money can buy. For the time being, of course. Here."

He removed a plastic card from his pocket. Korra raised a brow. Tarrlok gave her a warm smile.

"It's a credit card. You can buy groceries or go out and have a nice night on the town. There's $10,000, so don't go wild." Korra grinned, though she had a feeling he wasn't just teasing her. She pocketed the card, and Tarrlok dismissed himself.

"Well Naga, looks like it's just you and me." Korra sighed. This would take some getting used to.

After taking a hot bath, Korra decided to attempt to make supper, which included easy mac, a bag of chips, and a cup of green tea. She watched tv as she ate, occasionally talking to Naga about the shows. Her companion begged for food. Naga rested her paw on Korra's leg and tilted her head, sometimes sticking her tongue out in that adorable way that Korra couldn't resist.

Korra eventually fell asleep on the couch, Naga at her below her on the floor. Her thoughts drifted to Asami once in a while. She threw her hands over her face and groaned. She would have to tell everyone about the contract.

"I'm glad that you guys could make it."

Bolin, Asami, Mako, and Opal all squeezed onto the old couch. Korra felt Asami's eyes on her. Her stomach twisted in a pleasant way, though Korra tried to shake it off. Now was not the time for silly crushes.

"What's the big news? Did you bring any food?" Bolin asked. Korra chuckled and shook her head.

"Not this time, Bo. But I do have news that is somewhat big." She trailed off while rubbing the back of her neck. "I wanted you guys to know that I got a contract with Republic City Records." Opal immediately jumped to her feet and crushed Korra in a hug.

"I knew you could do it!"

Bolin joined the two and lifted them off the ground.

"Korra! You're gonna be a star! And I'll be a star's best friend! You wouldn't happen to know other famous people, would you?"

Korra laughed as she was put back in the ground.

"Not yet. I actually just moved into my new place this morning. You want to check it out?"

"Are you kidding? Of course! And Mako'll come too, right bro?" He turned to his older brother, who sat motionless on the couch next to Asami. His eyes were trained on the floor below him. Korra knew he was uncomfortable, and waited for him to lash out. She didn't have to wait long.

"Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath. Korra's smile was immediately replaced with a frown. Asami gasped, while Bolin and Opal stayed silent.

"What?" Korra shouted. "If you have something to say, say it!" She clenched her fists as she dared the boy to open his mouth. He stood slowly, eyes never leaving the ground.

"You know how important this band is, Korra. We need you." He turned to leave, but stopped. "But I guess you're just too self-conceded to see that." He spat over his shoulder.

"Are you being serious right now? Do you know how lucky I am? I could be living in the streets right now!"

Mako scoffed. "Yeah, if it wasn't for me. Face it Korra, without me you are nothing."

Something inside of her snapped. She doesn't feel herself running to Mako, fist pulled back and ready for impact. She was met with air as Mako dodged her sloppy attack, causing her to fall to the ground. He bent over her, a sick grin on his face.

"Looks like you're the one with anger issues." His hot breath hit her ear and she shuddered. "Maybe you should get some help."

He was mocking her; she had said those exact words to him just a few years earlier. Korra gritted her teeth and stood up to face Mako. "You wanna fight? Go ahead, you got first hit." He tapped his jaw, waiting for her to take the bait. She almost did, too, until Asami stepped between them.

"What is wrong with you? Korra, are you okay?" She grabbed Korra's arm and stared with worrying eyes. The younger girl relaxed at the contact and took a deep breath.

"You're taking her side now? Typical." Mako went to grab Asami's hand, but she pulled back. "What are you doing?"

"Mako, I think you've done enough."

"Are you breaking up with me?" It was more of a statement than a question. Asami looked back at Korra and nodded. Mako's face turned red as he murmured under his breath.

"You should leave." Korra whispered. She focused her attention to Mako, waiting for him to explode. She didn't have to wait long.

While Mako was pulling his arm back, Korra quickly stepped in from of Asami. Mako sneered at the pair, but lowered his fist.

"Whatever, have fun." He shrugged before leaving, and Korra released a breath.

"Korra, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he would blow up like that." Bolin spoke up. "I haven't seen him like this is a long time."

"It's fine, Bo. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just hope he calms down." She trailed off. Asami slipped her hand through Korra's. The younger girl was too upset to show signs of embarrassment at the contact. "I should probably go, I've caused enough trouble."

"I'm coming with you." Asami stated, her grip tightening on Korra's hand. The older girl was about to forget the rest of the world and focus on Korra, or Korra's well-being. Either way, it was a lot to ask. Korra opened her mouth to protest, but the look of determination in Asami's eyes changed her mind

"Call us if you need anything. We'll be there for you." Opal offered softly. Bolin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and nodded in agreement.

"I should probably find Mako before he hurts himself. Let us know if we can do anything for you, Korra." They said their goodbyes and Korra and Asami walked hand in hand to her car.

The pair was silent, except for Korra giving Asami directions to her apartment. The older girl never let go of Korra's hand.

"Nice place." Asami remarked. Korra only nodded. She lazily kicked off her shoes and removed her jacket, throwing it on the floor. Asami watched in amusement as Korra flopped onto the couch face down. Naga wandered into the living room and seated herself on the floor in front of her master.

"Why do bad things happen to me?" Her voice was muffled by the pillows, but Asami understood. She bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Her friend seemed upset enough.

Korra sat up and rested her hand on her chin. The past few weeks have been crazy. Now she had Asami by her side, and that's she could ask for. The cashier took a seat next to her and turned to face her, legs folded.

"Do you want to talk?" Her voice pierced the silence and Korra almost jumped. She hadn't noticed that Asami's legs were in very close proximity to her. She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes, letting out a breath. "You can tell me anything, Korra." She placed a hand on Korra's thigh in reassurance.

"My head is a mess, Asami. I can't gather my thoughts anymore." She admitted. "I've been trying to act like everything's okay but it really isn't. Mako left, I'm not sure how the Fire Ferrets will keep going." She trailed off. Mako lacks the confidence to continue with the band. Bolin will have to stay at the garage to make money, and Opal...

"Hey, everything's gonna be okay. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but give it time."

"I'm not sure I can do this by myself." Korra was used to dealing with her demons alone, but there was someone willing to go through everything with her sitting on her couch. Her hand still placed on Korra's thigh, and her eyes met with Asami's.

"You don't have to. I'll be here. No matter what." Asami declared. She took Korra's hand and gave her a small smile. Korra felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest as she returned Asami's smile. For a moment, she felt okay.


	10. Chapter 10

Korra looked around the room in were a number of sound booths being occupied and people running around with coffee. The walls were decorated with records and pictures of successful artists. She followed Tarrlok to an empty booth and sat down in front of the mic.

"Okay Korra, all I need you to do is play. This is sound proof, so no outside noise will be picked up while you record." He shut the door behind him and sat behind the soundboard. Korra gripped her ukulele and let out a breath. She put on the pair of headphones and waited for Tarrlok to give a thumbs up. "Could you play something? I need to see if anything needs adjusted."

Korra complied, playing a few random chords as Tarrlok messed with the soundboard before him. After he got things situated, he started to record. Korra's fingers were shaking as she began strumming. As she played, she snuck a look at Tarrlok. A wide grin spread across his face as he listened and he motioned for someone to join him. An older man stood by him. He pushed his glasses up as he peered into the booth. Korra had thought he looked familiar, but she couldn't put a name with his face. The song ended and she came out to join the two men.

"That was wonderful, Korra! We just need to edit a few things and then add some vocals." he tapped his chin as he thought. "Maybe some backup vocals as well. What do you think, Mr. Sato?"

Korra's face paled. Mr. Sato? As in Asami's dad? She shouldn't be surprised, they shared a last name for Raava's sake. But Asami had never mentioned him before.

"A little work will have to be done, but overall it sounded great." Korra blushed at the compliment. Hiroshi offered his hand. "I'm Hiroshi Sato, head of Future Industries and co-owner of Republic Records." Korra shook his hand and nodded. "I'm sure you're excited to finally get behind a mic and start your career, but before we dwell into the good stuff, I would like to have a talk with you in my office."

"Um, yeah. Sure." She stuttered. Hiroshi smiled. Had Asami told him something bad about her?

"You're not in trouble. I just have a few questions is all. Follow me."

His office was at the end of the hall. They passed other sound booths, some of which were occupied. Korra recognized the WolfBats, one of her rival bands back when she was on the Fire Ferrets. Their lead singer, Tahno, had made more than one move on her. She shuddered at the thought and fought the urge to knock his dumb looking face in. Instead, she followed Hiroshi into his office, which was huge. As soon as she walked in she was greeted by sunlight, which shone through the giant window behind his expected the room to be cluttered with papers, but it was surprisingly clean. In front of his desk sat two leather chairs. She took a seat and waited for him to start talking.

"I bet you're wondering what the head of Future Industries wants to do with a music company." He asked.

"It had crossed my mind." Korra agreed. "They're two very different types of industries."

Hiroshi nodded in agreement. "That they are. I've always enjoyed trying new things and challenging myself, which is what I'm doing here. Finding new talent and setting them up with the best equipment money can buy so their dreams can come true. Talent such as yourself, Korra." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. "I know you signed a contract with Tarrlok already, but that was just for the small stuff." He handed Korra the papers and a pen. "You aren't signing your life away. This is just for the big things. Concerts, equipment, and such."

The words were small, and boy were there a lot of them. Korra tried to skim through the fine print but gave up on the second page. She signed them and set them on the desk. Hiroshi returned them to the drawer.

"My daughter has said quite a bit about you." Korra froze. This was not good. "After you asked her to join the band, she was the happiest I had seen her in a long time." He said solemnly. Korra relaxed. Asami had always seemed happy to her. And she never told Korra about her family. What if she had, but Korra didn't pay attention? "I just wanted to thank you." Korra relaxed at his words, though she shouldn't be thanked. She was just doing what was right.

"It was no problem, really. I enjoy her company." Korra assured. Hiroshi smiled warmly.

"She enjoys your company as well." Korra's face reddened. She was flattered that Asami would even mention her to anyone, let alone her dad. She could feel her heart beat. Hiroshi tapped his fingers on the desk and stood up. "Well, I don't want to keep you. If you have any questions in the next few days, don't be afraid to ask." Korra got to her feet.

"Thank you, I will." She responded. She had a lot of questions, but they weren't for him.

* * *

The sound of pans falling made Korra fumble with her keys. She rushed to the kitchen. A grin formed on her face as she watched Asami pick up the fallen pans.

"We aren't going to tell Korra this, right girl?" She patted Naga's head.

"Not tell Korra what?" Asami jerked her head up at the sound of Korra's voice. Her hair was disheveled and there were dark bags under her eyes. One of her tank top straps was slipping down her shoulder as she attempted to clean up the bar. Korra raised a brow.

"You weren't supposed to be home until three." Asami whined. Korra laughed. "I just wanted to make dinner, but it's easier said than done." She held up a recipe sheet to Korra and pouted.

"You were trying to make macaroni? Oh jeez…" Korra sighed. Asami hung her head in defeat, though a smile was evident on her face. "Well first off," She grabbed the sauce pan and turned on the stove. "Boiling water is like, the basic first step to cooking anything. You know it's ready when the water is bubbling." Asami handed her the box of macaroni and watched intently as Korra worked. Korra was aware of the older girl's stare but shook it off. They were just cooking., no problem. They watched a the water boiled, then Korra poured the macaroni in. "Could you get a spoon? Second drawer on your right." The older girl complied. She handed Korra the spoon and watched as she stirred.

"So how did Republic Records go? Did you get to see some famous people?" Asami asked. Korra smirked.

"I did actually. You don't happen to know a Hiroshi, would you?" Asami tsked."That's what I thought. Why didn't you tell me you're dad owned Future Industries?" Silence filled the room. Maybe Korra had gone too far. But Asami released a shakey breath and hopped on top of the bar.

"I guess I should've told you. I just didn't want you to think differently of me because my dad owned a successful company." She rubbed her arms and continued. "I wanted people to know me for me, not for being Hiroshi Sato's daughter. I don't want to rely on my father's wealth all my life."

Korra felt empathy for the girl. Her heart hurt as she registered what Asami had to go through to make a name for herself without having help from anyone else. She joined her on the bar but was sure to kept her distance. Asami scooted closer and leaned her head on Korra's shoulder. Korra's body tensed. Asami's perfume filled the air as they sat.

"I understand." Korra murmured. "I couldn't imagine having all of that pressure on me." Korra's parents were always supportive to her no matter what she did. She had no worry of impressing anyone. "But you don't have to worry about it now, okay?" Asami lifted her head to look at Korra. Those eyes…

"Korra, is there supposed to be smoke?" Korra snapped out of her daze and rushed to the stove. The macaroni was burnt. Really burnt. She quickly disposed of the pot's contents as Asami turned the stove off.

"Okay, so that was totally planned." Asami gave her a look. "It was a test, and you passed. I guess it's a take out night." Korra said sheepishly. Asami was already on the phone.


End file.
